Environmental sensors, such as fire alarms, are generally known. Such devices are typically constructed to detect heat or products of combustion and are often used to provide an early warning of fire in buildings or homes.
While such sensors can be used as stand-alone devices, fire alarms sensors are often connected to a local control panel that monitors the status of the individual sensors. Upon detecting a fire through one of the sensors, the control panel may activate a local audible alarm to alert human occupants of the detected fire.
In addition to activating a local audible alarm, the control panel may send an alarm signal to a central monitoring station. Upon receiving the alarm signal from the local control panel, the central monitoring station may alert the police or local fire department.
Because of the risks associated with fire, central monitoring stations often seek to mitigate the effects of fire alarm reports. When an indicator of fire is received, the central monitoring station will often attempt to contact an occupant within the protected facility in order to confirm the presence of a fire. If a local occupant cannot be contacted, the central station may dispatch security personnel to investigate the status of a facility. However, even this strategy may not work for small fires or for fires deep within a structure. Accordingly, a need exists for more flexible means for detecting and reporting the status of fire detectors.